#news China says Russia supports emergency six-party consultations

BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday that Russia had expressed support for emergency six-party consultations on the Korean Peninsula situation.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the remarks here at a regular news briefing.

S Korean FM to discuss DPRK issues with U.S., Japanese counterparts

SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's top diplomat will meet with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts during a three-day trip to Washington starting Sunday, the foreign ministry here said Thursday.

Kim Sung-hwan is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara for a three-way meeting next Monday to discuss countermeasures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s artillery shelling of a South Korean island last Tuesday, according to the ministry.

The three top diplomats will also discuss collaboration on other issues regarding the DPRK, including the current nuclear standoff, the ministry said in a press release.

Two separate bilateral meetings are also scheduled, with Kim and Clinton expected to discuss DPRK issues along with a two-way free trade deal between Seoul and Washington that awaits legislative approval in both countries.

DPRK issues and bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan will top the agenda at a scheduled bilateral meeting between Kim and Maehara, according to the ministry.

U.S., S. Korea, Japan to meet on peninsula situation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of the United States, South Korea and Japan will meet next Monday in Washington to discuss the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and their impact on regional security, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

Other "regional and global issues" will also be discussed by U. S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, the department said in a statement.

"This meeting demonstrates the extraordinary close coordination between the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan, and our commitment to security on the Korean Peninsula and stability in the region," the statement added.

Tensions persist on the Korean Peninsula after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea exchanged artillery fire on Nov. 23, leaving four South Koreans dead and more than a dozen others injured.

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